The American Girl's Handy Book

by Lina Beard

  Mix a tint as near the required color as you can, and go over the whole background without regard to light or shade; cover all the background; do not leave any white or bare canvas showing.

  The general effect being thus obtained, it is easier to see what colors are needed for further painting.

  Select a medium tint between the high lights and half-tones, and paint in the lights of the vase in a flat, even tint; then go over the shadows again with a medium tone, still keeping them in one flat, even mass. Should you lose the outline at any time, dip a rag in turpentine and wash off the paint that covers it.

  Having progressed this far, the painting should be left to dry.

  The turpentine and siccatif Courtray have such drying properties that by the next day you may work again on the study.

  Begin the second painting by putting in the half-tints. These unite the decided light and shade, and should be dragged over their edges, but not blended with them. Once more go over the shadows, strengthening them and putting in the reflected lights.

  Add more color in the lights where it is needed, and put in the high lights with clear, crisp touches. Work on your background in this second painting. Indicate the shadows, but do not make them strong, except the one which will probably be cast by the object; that can be strengthened, as it helps to set the object out from the background and gives the idea of space. Do not make the background strong; keep it toned down, that it may not become too prominent. Drag the background a little over the edges of the vase, or whatever it may be you are painting, and then paint over it again with the colors of the vase. Do this while working around the edges of the vase, or object, to prevent its looking flat, as if it were pasted on.

  These directions are to be applied to painting any subject; but after you have learned how to manage the colors and wish to really paint a picture, the medium must be changed from turpentine and siccatif Courtray to oil, either linseed or poppy, using the turpentine only for the first effect of shadow.

  When oil is used it will require two or three days for the picture to dry. Many advise the use of but little oil, and there are artists who dissapprove of any medium at all.

  Before commencing the second painting, a coating of poppy-oil should be put all over the canvas with a large, flat camel’s-hair brush. Every bit should be covered without touching the brush twice to the same spot. This softens the first coat of paint sufficiently to allow of its blending with the next. If a raw potato be cut in half and rubbed over the painting before the oil is put on, it will prevent the oil from crawling, or separating into drops on the canvas.

  Do not use the same brushes for dark and light tints, but keep them separate. Mix your tints on your palette, the dark tint below the dark colors, and the light tint below the light colors.

  In putting away your work after painting, be sure that the tops are screwed on to all your color-tubes, and arrange them neatly in their box. Clean your palette with the palette-knife, and then wipe it off with a rag. Dip your brushes, one by one, in turpentine and wipe them on a rag; this removes most of the paint and makes them easier to wash. Warm, not hot, water should be used for washing the brushes. The best way is to hold several brushes in the right hand, their sticks being in an upright position, dip them in the water, rub them on a piece of common soap, and then scrub them round and round on the palm of the left hand; rinse them in clear water, and wipe dry with a clean rag.

  Our limited space will not allow of our going more fully into the details of painting; but we hope that these directions will give some idea of how to make a beginning as a painter in oil-colors, and after you have made a start you will find two good professors at your elbow to help you along and encourage you—Prof. Judgment and Prof. Experience.

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  HOW TO MODEL IN CLAY AND WAX.

  AN eminent artist once remarked within the writer’s hearing that, should he bring into his studio the first dozen boys he happened to meet on the street, taking them as they came, he would probably be able to teach at least half of them to model within six months, whereas there might not be one of them who could be taught to paint at all. Possibly none of these boys would ever become great sculptors, but they could learn to model moderately well. If that is the case with boys, who are apt to be so awkward and clumsy, how quickly could a girl’s deft fingers learn to mould and form the plastic clay or wax into life-like forms. In some of the institutions for the blind, deaf and dumb, modelling is taught with great success. Quickly the sensitive fingers of the young inmates run over the object to be copied, and skilfully they reproduce in their clay the form conveyed to them by touch alone. It is pleasant to think that these silent little workers have this new pleasure added to their somewhat limited stock; but at the same time the fact puts to shame some of us who, having all our faculties, the use of all our senses, and not infrequently artistic ability in addition, do so little with the talents intrusted to our care.

  Let us to work then, girls, and see if we cannot accomplish at least as much as our unfortunate sisters, who have neither sight nor hearing to guide them.

  Modelling in Clay.

  The great difficulty we encounter in learning to draw—which is representing things as they appear, not as they really are—will not trouble us in this other department of art, for in modelling it must be our aim to do precisely the reverse, and reproduce an object exactly as it is, not as it appears.

  Modelling, besides its own worth, is of value as an aid to drawing, for it teaches form, and the shadows on an object can be drawn more intelligently and correctly when it is known just what formations produce them.

  A great deal can be done in modelling without the aid of a teacher. So, not waiting to look up a professor, suppose we commence by ourselves and see what we can do. It is very fascinating work, and if a few failures are the result of our first attempt, we need not be discouraged, for what others can do, we also can accomplish.

  The writer has lately been initiated into the mysteries of this art, and since, as they say, the person just graduated from a primary department is best fitted to teach in that department, perhaps the hints given here may be better suited to the understanding of beginners than if they were written by a great sculptor, who might forget that everyone does not know, as well as he does himself, the preliminary steps necessary even in accomplishing the grandest results.

  Instead of entering into the later and more artistically finished processes we will confine ourselves to the prelude or introduction to modelling; and then, girls, with the object before you, your only guide and instructor, you must work out the rest for yourselves.

  The first thing to do is to provide your

  Materials,

  and here is a list of all you will need:

  1. Clay, such as is used by potters, perfectly free from grit.

  2. Modelling-tools. These can be bought at any artists material store, and the simplest ones might be made at home of hard wood. Only a few tools are necessary for a beginner; Fig. 162 shows those most useful. The fingers and thumbs are the best of all tools, and a great deal can be done with them, though for fine, delicate modelling tools must be used.

  Fig. 162

  Modelling Tools

  3. Modelling-stand. A regular modelling-stand with rotary platform will cost from eight to twelve dollars and the expense may be an objection; but the writer has found that an ordinary high office-stool with revolving seat makes a good substitute. If the stool is not high enough it can be raised by placing on the seat a drawing- or pastry-board, and on top of that a square wooden box about one foot high and broad enough to allow sufficient room for a good-sized head and bust.

  4. Basin of water and towel for washing and drying the hands.

  How to Manage Clay.

  Clay costs, near New York, from one to three cents per pound, and about fifty pounds will be required. If possible buy it moist, but if dry, put it into an earthenware jar, or anything that will hold water, and cover with clear water. Let it
remain until thoroughly moistened; then with a stick stir the clay around as, when a small girl, you did the mud while making mud-pies, until it is free from lumps and is perfectly smooth; clear away from the sides of the jar and pile it up in the centre.

  When it is dry enough not to be muddy and is still pliable, it is in a fit condition to work with. It is necessary to keep your hands perfectly clean and conveniences for washing them should be handy.

  Do not use muddy water or a dusty towel.

  Use any tools that will produce the result desired with the greatest ease; a little experience will soon determine what they are, but as a rule the largest are best.

  Fig. 163

  When leaving unfinished work cover it with a damp cloth to keep it moist. If you are working on a head, and the features have been commenced, stick a small wooden tool in the head just above the forehead to hold the cloth away from the face, for it is liable to soften the nose and push it out of shape if it rests upon it.

  A frame made of laths (Fig. 163) covered with oil-cloth or rubber (an old gossamer water-proof will be just the thing), placed over the modelling, will keep it better than the cloth, as it excludes the air and prevents its drying (Fig. 164). When using the frame, sprinkle your work by dipping a clean whisk-broom into water and shaking it over the clay. Remember, the clay must always be kept moist and pliable and never allowed to dry. If it does become dry and hard there is nothing to do but to put it back into the jar, and go through the process of damping it again.

  Fig. 164

  Keep your tools clean, and do not allow the metal ones to become rusty, as they will if carelessly left on the modelling-stand when not in use. To avoid trouble of this kind it is best to put your tools in a box where they will be perfectly dry. Unless you wish to go through one of the writer’s first experiences, when she was obliged to let her tools lie in a pan of kerosene oil for two days, and then clean them with knife-brick.

  How to Preserve Modelled Clay.

  If terra-cotta clay is used, it can be baked in a kiln, which will, while hardening, turn it a fine buff terra-cotta color, and make the object, if well modelled, ornamental enough for almost any use.

  From the other clay, plaster casts can be taken, and the article reproduced in plaster as many times as desired.

  Hints for Modelling a Head.

  Always work from a model, and it is best to try copying plaster casts before attempting to model from life.

  Place on the centre of your stand a wooden or tin box (a cigar-box will do) to form the base; cover this with clay in the form of Fig. 165, and stick a support in the middle, as shown in diagram. The support may be a piece of kindling-wood eight inches long and about one inch thick.

  Fig. 165

  Fig. 166

  Fig. 167

  How to Model a Head.

  Build up the clay around this stick, as in Fig. 166, and with your hands mould the clay, piecing it out here, and cutting off there, until it bears some resemblance to a head, as in Fig. 167.

  Still using your hands, get the general proportions of the head, and then commence the features. Begin with the profile, using tools when necessary, and try for character without detail; then turn the head a little and work from that point of view; always look at your model from the same point of view as you do your work. Turn the head in the opposite direction and model the other side, keeping the face evenly balanced. Continue turning your work little by little, until each outline it presents is as near as you can get like the corresponding outline of your model, and then work up the detail.

  In modelling any object the same process, of viewing the model from all points, must be gone through with.

  Do not strive to obtain a likeness at first, but be careful to have all of your outlines correct, and the likeness will come of itself.

  How to Model in Wax.

  Modelling-wax prepared at home is much better than any that can be purchased. The following recipe is a very good one:

  Modelling-wax.

  1 pound pure yellow beeswax.

  ½ pound corn-starch.

  4 ounces Venice turpentine.

  1½ ounce Venetian red powder.

  ½ ounce sweet-oil.

  Put the wax on the stove in a saucepan and let it melt; take off and pour in the turpentine. Never attempt to add this while the wax is near the fire, as it is extremely dangerous. It is a good idea, when buying the ingredients, to have the oil and turpentine put in the same bottle (which should have a wide neck), then they can be poured into the wax at the same time. Warm the bottle of oil and turpentine in hot water to soften before mixing with the wax. Keep stirring all the time. Pour in the corn-starch and Venetian red. When the corn-starch is dissolved the wax is ready for use.

  Bas-relief Figure in Wax.

  Modelling-wax is much more expensive than clay; it is used principally for small objects and those that require fine workmanship. It is quite useful for sketchy work, as it may be carried about almost like a sketchbook, and being so much cleaner than clay, it can be used even in the parlor without damage to table or carpet. With the wax on a small board one can sit at a table and work very comfortably. The tools for clay modelling may also be used for wax; probably the smallest will be most useful.

  As cold weather advances, we like to pass the evenings in some agreeable occupation, that may be carried on without disturbing the family group around the fireside. For such occasions, modelling in wax will make a pleasant pastime. Sitting quietly, taking part in the general conversation, or listening while someone reads aloud, one may model the wax into many pretty forms to be preserved afterward in plaster, or, obtaining a profile view, a likeness of one of the group may be done in bas-relief. If a slate is used to work on, it will make a good foundation, and the head can first be drawn on it in outline and the wax built over it, using the drawing as a guide. The slate is smooth and firm, and it is a good idea to use it as a foundation for all wax bas-relief, especially when plaster casts are to be taken from the modelling, for in that case the panel forming the background must be perfectly even.

  Bas-relief Head in Wax.

  Making Plaster Casts.

  CHAPTER XXV.

  HOW TO MAKE PLASTER CASTS.

  IT is not at all difficult; anyone can succeed in it who will take the pains to follow carefully the directions given here for making plaster casts. Without the knowledge of drawing or modelling you can in this way reproduce almost any article in a very short time.

  Casting in plaster is really so simple a process that even a child can soon learn to manage it nicely. You will need a board, about a foot and a half square, upon which to work, fifteen or twenty pounds of clay, five pounds of plaster-of-Paris, a cup of warm melted lard, and several small wooden pegs; these can be made of wooden tooth-picks or matches broken in two.

  Select an object with few angles and a smooth surface to experiment on; a firm round apple will do. Rub the lard all over the apple until every particle is greased; then lay it in the centre of your board. Take some clay and pack it around it just as high as the middle of the apple, forming a square, as in Fig. 168. Smooth the clay off on the edges and stick pegs in diagonal opposite corners (Fig. 168); then with more clay build a wall close around the apple and its case, making the sides one inch higher than the top of the apple (Fig. 169). Put a cupful of clear water into a pan or dish, and stir in enough plaster of Paris to make it like batter; pour the plaster over the apple, filling the clay box to the top. This makes a half mould of clay and a half mould of plaster.

  Fig. 168

  Fig. 169

  Fig. 170

  When the plaster is hard, which will be in a very short time, pull away your clay wall, and take out the apple and half plaster mould together, lifting the apple from its half clay mould.

  Remove the clay from your board and set the plaster mould containing the apple in the centre. Rub lard over the apple and upper edge of the mould, build around it the clay wall, as you did the first time; roll a small piece of
clay into a slender conical shape and stand it upright on top of the apple, as in Fig. 169. This will make a hole through which to pour the plaster when filling the completed mould, and it must stand high enough to reach above the top of the clay wall.

  Pour the plaster over the apple as at first, and let it set or harden. Take away the wall of clay once more, and carefully separate the two parts of the mould with the blade of a table-knife; remove the apple, and all is ready for the final cast which is to produce your plaster fruit (Fig. 170).

  Thoroughly grease the inside of your mould, fit the two parts together, and wrap and tie them with string to hold them in place.

  Pour in the plaster, through the hole left in one-half of the mould, until it is quite full; then gently shake it to send the plaster into all small crevices.

  Let your mould stand without moving again until sufficient time has elapsed for the plaster to harden; then gently separate the two parts and you will find a perfect cast of the apple.

  The ridge made by the joining of the mould you must scrape off with a sharp knife, or rub with sand-paper.

  In taking casts of almost any object not too complicated, this same method must be employed. The only difficulty lies in deciding just where to place the dividing-line, which must be exactly at the broadest part of your model, otherwise you will break your mould in taking the object out.

  In casting a hand the clay must be built up around each finger to precisely its widest part; therefore it is a good plan, before commencing, to mark on the hand, with a fine paint-brush and ink, the line that is to be observed.